VZZa. 
C.Z. 


Add  re?  8   at   the   G-uilford  battle 
prround 


Zebulon  B.    Vance 


The 


Howell  Collection 

OF    HISTORICAL 
MATERIALS 


Presented  by  Kay  Kyser 

And  his  Mother 

Emily  Royster  Howell  Kyser 

As  a  Memorial 

To  her  Brother 

Edward  Vernon  Howell 

Dean  School  of  Pharmacy 

1897-1931 


THE   UNIVERSITY 

OF 

NORTH   CAROLINA 

LIBRARY 


ADDRKSS 


BY 


Hon.  Zebulon  B,  Vance, 


AT   THE 


Guilford  Battle  Ground, 


MRY  4,  1889. 


Reece  &  Elam,  Printers. 


ADDRESS 


BY 


Hon.  Zebulon  B,  Vance 


AT   THE 


Guilford  Battle  Ground, 


MRY  4,  1889. 


Reece  &  Elain,  Printers. 


Digitized  by  tine  Internet  Arciiive 

in  2010  witii  funding  from 

University  of  Nortii  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hil 


http://www.archive.org/details/addressatguilforOOvanc 


Ladies  and  Gcntlcnu-it : 

I  congratulate  this  audience  on  the  pleasant  surrounc!- 
ings.  I  regret  that  my  health  has  not  ailoueLi  me  to 
prepare  a  more  elaborate  address;  but  I  have  never  }x-t 
failed  to  respond  when  called  on  by  the  people  of  Xorth 
Carolina,  and  I  am  here  to  do  what  I  can  to  assist  in  the 
Celebration  of  the  Battle  of  Guilford  Court  House. 
[Great  applause  greeted  this,  after  which  the  Senator 
proceeded  as  follows]: 

From  time  immemorial  that  portion  of  the  human  race 
which  has  left  any  record  of  its  actions  has  indulged  the 
practice  of  commemorating  the  notable  events  of  its  his- 
tory. The  method  by  which  this  was  done  was  a  good 
test  of  their  civilization.  In  Genesis  it  is  recorded  that 
Jacob  took  the  stone  upon  which  his  head  had  rested, 
whilst  the  wondrous  vision  was  displayed  to  him,  of  the 
angels  ascending  and  descending,  and  erected  it  as  a 
memorial  pillar.  Again,  when  the  Lord  appeared  to 
Jacob  when  he  came  out  of  the  Padan-aram  and  blessed 
him  and  renewed  the  promises  which  had  been  made 
unto  Abraham.  Jacob  set  up  a  pillar  of  stone  in  the  place 
as  a  memorial,  and  called  it  "  Bethel."  Twelve  stones 
were  likewise  set  up  in  commemoration  of  the  crossing 
of  the  river  Jordan  by  the  tribes  dry  shod.  The  sacreci 
record  is  full  oi  this  method  of  perpetuating  the  memory 
of  noted  events  by  the  priests,  prophets  and  people  of 
the  Jews.  The  Assyrians  and  the  Egyptians  did  like- 
wise— -but  in  a  more  elaborate  manner.  In  fact,  almost 
the  only  record  by  which  we  trace  the  history  of  the  East 
is  by  deciphering  the  inscriptions  upon  their  monuments 
and  memorial  structures.  So  enduring  as  monuments  are 
the  great  pyramids  that  mankind  has  almost  forgotten 
the  purpose  for  which  they  were  erected  and    by  whom. 


They  have  actuallx'  outlasted  all  knowledge  or  tradition 
Concerning  them.  The  Greeks  excelled  all  others,  per- 
haps, in  the  number  and  artistic  excellence  of  their  com- 
memorating stones.  Not  only  all  great  events,  but  all 
their  great  men  were  thus  commended  to  the  attention 
of  posterity,  b}-  the  erection  of  temples  and  statues, 
which  have  never  }-et  been  surpassed,  if,  indeed,  they 
have  been  equalled.  The  Romans  copied  their  custom 
and  their  art  in  this  regard.  To  this  da)'  the)'  remind  us 
of  the  genius  and  glory  of  Greece.  In  very  truth, 
"  The  silent  pillar  lone  and  gray 
Claims  kindred  with  their  sacred  clay." 

Much  of  the  profoundest  learning  of  modern  times  has 
been  devoted  to  these  exhibitions  of  Greek  art  and  the 
Egyptology  of  the  Nile.  Thus  the  progress  of  art  is 
traced  from  the  rude  unhewn  stone  of  Jacob  to  the  ex- 
quisitely chiseled  and  proportioned  column  of  the  Athe- 
nian Acropolis,  and  the  wondrous  structures  of  Egypt. 

In  addition  to  this  method  of  commemoration,  the 
moderns  have  adopted  what  may  be  called  the  tradi- 
tional. Great  masses  of  people  meet  together  on  anni- 
versary days,  and  discourse  concerning  the  events  which 
are  the  object  of  the  meeting.  This  we  call  "  celebra- 
ting." It  is  nothing  more  than  the  renewing  and 
strengthening  the  remeinbrance  of  the  events  which  we 
wish  to  perpetuate.  Perhaps  of  all  the  western  peoples, 
we  in  the  United  States  excel  in  this  matter  of  celebra- 
ting events  in  our  history.  We  are  not  satisfied  with  the 
mere  erection  of  monuments  or  piles  of  stone,  but  we 
meet  together  in  multitudes;  we  speak;  we  march  in  pro- 
cession with  bands  of  music,  we  fire  cannon  and  displa\' 
banners,  so  that  the  deeds  whicli  we  wish  remembered 
may  not  only  be  fastened  in  the  memory  b)'  these  ad- 
juncts but  may  serve  to  excite  the  emulation  of  the  )'oung, 
and  train    them    to    that    degree    of  perfect  cititizenship 


5 

which  leads  to  the  surrender  of  all  thiuc^s  to  the  commort 
good.  It  is  well  that  we  do  so.  There  is  no  better 
school  for  our  youth  than  this  hero-worship,  this  e.xalt- 
ing  of  great  deeds!  There  is  no  imagination  which 
can  conceive  the  extent  of  its  influence  upon  character; 
and  it  is  always  a  high  and  noble  influence.  A  pathetic 
story  is  told  of  a  Scotch  girl  who  had  been  sent  to  France 
to  be  educated.  She  was  asked,  as  a  part  of  her  exer- 
cise, to  give  a  description  of  a  Highland  regiment.  She 
began  to  read  her  piece  describing  the  tall,  brawny  forms 
clad  in  the  bonnet  and  tartan,  with  the  clay-mores  at 
their  sides,  the  proud,  free  steps  with  which  they  march- 
ed to  the  music  of  the  bag-pipes,  when  the  pride  of  being 
the  countrywomen  of  such  soldiers  overcame  her,  and 
pausing,  she  burst  into  tears.  The  feeling  she  e.xcited 
and  the  cheers  with  which  her  patriotic  fervor  was  appre- 
ciated, showed  that  her  education  in  the  school  of  pa- 
triotism and  hero-worship  was  already  advanced. 

After  all  that  can  be  done  with  marble  or  granite,  the 
truest  monument  by  which  the  memory  of  any  event  can 
be  perpetuated  is  to  be  found  in  the  results.  It  rarely 
happens  that  an  event  in  a  people's  history  is  worth  the 
perpetuating  in  stone,  which  is  not  already  everlastingly 
embalmed  in  the  hearts  of  the  people.  What  monument 
is  required  to  keep  alive  the  memory  of  the  man  who  in- 
vented the  mariner's  compass,  by  which  the  trackless 
paths  of  the  sea  are  made  as  familiar  to  commerce  as  our 
inter-state  highways.-*  What  stone  is  necessary  to  the 
inventor  of  the  art  of  printing,  when  all  science  and  all 
literature,  daily,  unconsciously  hymn  his  praise.'  What 
shaft  is  needed  by  the  inventor  of  the  steam  engine, 
when  the  whole  earth  is  full  of  the  works  which  magnif}' 
him.''  or  to  the  discoverer  of  the  cotton  gin  by  which  the 
world  is  clothed.''  Does  the  memory  of  the  great  physi- 
cian   whose  genius  has  mitigated  human  suffering  depend 


on  a  pile  of  stones.^  Or  do  the  i^rcat  la\v\xTS  tf»  whose 
acumen  \vc  arc  indebtctl  for  the  cliicf  hberties  of  our  jX'o- 
plc  nfCHi  our  care?  I''()r  tliLmsch'cs — no,  but  f>r  r»ur- 
selves,  to  show  our  ^"ratitucle  and  appreciation,  t*)  remind 
us  we,  too,  can  n^.ake  our  h\es  sublime — yes.  d  lieir 
g-reat  achievements  are  their  monuments,  for,  \crily. 
"  their  wcirks  do  f()U<>w  them ;"  and  an}-  shafts  we  ma)- 
erect  are  rather  ours  than  theirs.  ddie_\-  testif}',  not  so 
nnich  of  tlieir  deeds,  as  wdiat  lives  in  r>ur  hearts.  'I  he 
j)hih)si  >ph}'  of  this  is  found  in  the  c.vph\p,ation  of  the  wise 
and  witt\-  Cato,  the  (.'ensi^r.  who  said  that  he  had  ratlier 
have  the  strani.^er  ask  why  he  had  no  statue,  than  to  ask 
wh\-  he  had  (»ne.  In  the  waUs  of  St.  Paul  is  inserted  a 
tablet,  on  which  is  written  the  n.ame  of  Sir  Christopher 
Wren,  its  architect,  with  the  words  underneath,  "Lector 
si  monumentuni  rcquiris  circunisi.)ice."  Tlie  imposing' 
structure  reaching  upward  with  all  its  linqsof  beaut}- and 
strength,  was  his  monument. 

Should  the  iiu]uir\-  be  made,  wdiat  was  done  at  this 
spot  in  i/Si.-'and  where  is  the  monument  of  results  to 
commemorate  it,  the  answer  might  well  be  made  in  the 
single  word,  "  Circumspice."  Be}'ond  question  the  foun- 
dation of  American  libert}-  was  laid  on  this  spot  on  that 
noted  da}'  in  March,  17S1.  A  brief  ai^id  philosophical 
consideration  of  the  militar}-  situation  of  these  colonies, 
and  of  the  events  which  immediatel}'  preceded  and  fol- 
lowed the  struggle  here,  will  satisfy  an}- one  that  the  im- 
portance of  that  day's  work  is  not  over-rated  b}-  this 
statenieiit. 

The  British  armies  having  failed  of  success  among  the 
northern  portion  of  the  colonies,  owing  to  the  skill  an.d 
vigilance  of  Washington,  the  attention  of  their  cf>m- 
mander  was  directed  to  the  Southern  department.  There, 
it  was  believed  that,  owing  to  the  hold  which  the  British 
alreacl}/  had  upon  the  country,  its  widely   scattered   rural 


population  aiul  the  noted  lo}-alty  of  a  considerable  por- 
tion of  it,  the  prospect  of  final  success  was  much  better 
than  in  an)'  other  cjuarter.  With  a  picked  and  veteran 
force,  tlierefore,  Lord  Cornwallis  began  his  celebrated 
march  from  Charleston  through  South  Carolina  and  North 
Carolina  into  Virginia.  He  calculated  upon  embod\'ing 
the  loyal  element  wherever  he  went,  and  encouraging  it 
to  join  him  and  swell  his  forces.  This  was  reasonable, 
after  the  shameful  disaster  at  Camden,  and  to  a  great  ex- 
tent this  e.xpectation  was  justified  b}'  large  numbers  of 
lo}'alists  joining  him  in  South  Carolina,  whilst  quite  a 
number  either  did,  or  attempted,  the  same  in  North  Caro- 
lina. But  his  presence  and  proclamations  were  two- 
edged  weapons;  they  not  only  called  out  the  tory  ele- 
ment, but  roused  and  brought  to  arms  every  patriotic 
Whig  in  the  regions  through  which  he  marched.  These 
alone  proved  more  than  sufficient  to  deal  with  their  coun- 
trj'men  who  took  sides  with  the  British. 

The  first  great  serious  check  which  his  hitherto  trium- 
phant advance  had  received  was  at  King's  Mountain  in 
October,  17S0.  Preceding  his  advance  into  North  Caro- 
lina, Cornwallis  had  sent  Major  Ferguson  with  a  battal- 
ion of  regular  troops  to  call  out  and  embody  all  the  Tory 
element  of  the  western  part  of  the  two  Carolinas.  This 
he  did  with  considerable  success,  and  incorporated  with 
his  own  forces  a  large  number  of  volunteers.  But  the 
effort  to  do  so  had  alarmed  the  Whigs  of  the  mountains 
of  North  Carolina  and  Virginia.  These  gallant  frontiers- 
men sprang  up  as  by  magic,  and  crossing  the  great  Iron 
and  Yellow  Mountains  from  the  valleys  of  the  Holston 
and  Nolichucky,  assembled  in  the  valley  of  the  Catawba 
and  made  their  final  arrangements  to  dispose  of  Ferguson 
and  his  Tories.  Advancing  by  forced  marches,  receiving 
recruits  at  every  step,  their  array  became  so  formidable 
that  Fersruson  took  the  alarm  and    retreated    to    King's 


Mountain,  vainly  imay;inini^  that  the  raw  militia  rr(^m  the 
wilderness  woulJ  not  dare  to  attack  him  there.  But  lit- 
tle did  he  know  ()f  the  s[)irit  of  these  men.  Like  a 
mountain  ax'alanche  the)-  swej^t  onward  after  their  prey, 
and  like  an  eas^de,  when  found,  they  seized  it,  in  defiance 
f)f  all  military  rules,  in  its  own  chosen  position  of 
streni4'th.  .Vuthors,  orators  and  militar}"  critics  have 
ilwelt  alike  exhausti\'ely  upon  the  wondrous  feat  of  arms, 
its  timel)'  importance  to  the  patriotic  cause  and  its  unex- 
ampletl  heroism.  There  is  little  concerniuL^  it  which  re- 
mains to  be  said. 

To  me,  it  aj)pears  imp(TssibIe  for  lans^uai^e  to  over- 
estimate its  importance  or  to  do  adec]uate  justice  to  the 
courai^e,  audacit>'  and  war-like  skill  which  enabled  un- 
trained militia,  without  artillerx',  without  ba\-onets,  with- 
out even  discipline,  with  simpl\-  hunting  rifles  and  inade- 
quate ammunition,  to  assault  fortified  mountain  heights 
defended  by  almost  equal  numbers,  a  part  of  whom  were 
trained  veteran  troops — and  carr}'  them  by  storm.  There 
is  no  story  in  the  annals  of  war;  there  is  no  incident  told 
ot  the  great  Hannibal,  or  of  the  retreat  of  the  Ten- 
thousand,  or  of  the  Roman  legions  in  any  part  of  the 
earth,  which  excels  it  for  pure  heroism,  grim  and  sturdy 
courage,  and  as  an  exhibition  of  the  true  fire  of  war-like 
genius.  I  know  that  it  is  not  perhaps  in  good  taste  for 
citizens  of  a  Democratic  country  to  boast  of  the  blood 
which  is  in  tlieir  veins,  but  I  am  sure  I  will  be  pardoned 
tor  indulging  in  a  strain  of  filial  pride  by  glorjdng  in  the 
fact  that  m_\-  grandfather  was  one  of  those  who  amidst 
smoke  and  fire  ascended  those  heights  on  that  day. 
However,  perhaps  I  need  not  apologize.  If  it  be  proper 
for  us  to  feel  proud  of  our  ancestors  in  the  mass,  it  can- 
not be  improper  to  boast  of  their  deeds  in  the  individual. 
The  Chinese  proverb  well  says:  "  To  forget  one's  ances- 
tors is  to  be  a  brook  without  a  source — a  tree  without  a 
root." 


The  next  most  serious  check  which  was  given  to  the 
royal  advance  was  inflicted  at  the  Cowpens  in  January, 
1 78 1.  Furious  at  the  destruction  of  Ferguson's  com- 
mand, Cornwallis  hurried  forward  to  retrieve  the  disaster, 
with  the  celebrated  and  hitherto  invincible  calvar\'  com- 
mander, Colonel  Tarlton,  with  a  considerable  force  of 
splendid  troops.  He  was  met  atthe  Cowpens  by  General 
Morgan  with  a  large  force  of  the  patriotic  militia  of  North 
and  South  Carolina,  many  who  had  participated  in  the 
victoi-\-  at  King's  Mountain,  and  was  signally  defeated 
with  the  loss  of  a  large  number  of  killed,  wounded  and 
prisoners. 

Thus,  two  most  important  detachments  of  the  royal 
invading  army  having  been  defeated — one  being  abso- 
lutely destroyed — Lord  Cornwallis,  being  justly  alarmed 
for  the  success  of  the  campaign  and  smarting  from  hu- 
miliation and  defeat,  determined  upon  a  prompt  and  ag- 
gressive advance  which  should  subdue  all  opposition  and 
restore  all  lost  prestige  of  his  army.  From  this  time  for- 
ward until  fate  compelled  him  to  retreat  from  the  State 
it  is  impossible  to  withhold  from  him  our  admiration  at 
his  high  military  qualities,  as  evinced  by  the  discipline  of 
his  troops  and  the  moderation  of  his  conduct.  But  it 
was  decreed  that  he  should  fail,  and  on  this  spot  where 
we  now  stand;  in  1781  the  finishing  blow  was  given  to  all 
his  prospects  for  subjugating  the  Southern  Colonies,  and 
which  drove  him  to  his  ships  at  Wilmington,  and  finally 
to  the  end  at  Yorktown. 

From  this  day  dates  the  real  freedom  and  independence 
of  North  Carolina.  Had  he  not  here  been  successfully 
resisted — had  the  army  of  General  Greene  been  destroyed 
as  Ferguson's  had  been  at  King's  Mountain,  beyond  all 
question  the  independence  of  these  Colonies  would  have 
been  indefinitely  postponed. 

How  this  battle  was  fought  and  substantially  won,  and 


!0 


(lie  [:iart  wliicli  our  North  Carolina  ancestors  took  therein, 
J  \vill  not  attempt  to  describe  to-chi\'.  It  has  been  ch^ne 
ai^Min  and  risjain  by  our  historians  and  orators',  b_\'  Hawks, 
Gr.diam,  Swain  ;ind  Caruthers,  but  ne\'er  so  well  and 
coni})lete] y  done  as  b_\'  the  honorable  g"entleman,  David 
Schenck,  wIk)  discoursed  to  \'ou  at  }'our  last  celebration, 
and  t<:)  whose  untirin_L(  and  patriotic  exertirjus  we  are  in- 
debted (c>v  these  effi^rts  to  keep  ali\'e  the  memory  of  our 
iibert\'-lo\-in<j,'  fore-fathers.  For  one,  I  unhesitatingl}' ac- 
cept the  conclusi(-)ns  of  hds  lab(")rious  researches,  and  be- 
lieve them  to  i)e  the  truth  of  histor\'.  I  believe  that  the 
rci^idar  and  \"olunteer  tro!:)ps  oi  North  Car^Dlina  did  their 
duty  that  day  as  well  as  any  men  ujjon  that  field,  and 
that  the  lines  of  raw,  undisciplined  militia  did  all  that 
was  expected  of  them  by  their  commanLler,  or  all  that 
could  ha\'e  reasonabh^  been  expected  of  them  by  an}' 
critic  with  sufficient  military  knowledg'e  to  JucIljc  of  the 
capacity  of  such  forces,  so  armed,  against  such  trained 
and  disciplined  and  perfectly  armed  troops. 

Wdiat  then  was  their  work.^  What  is  the  monument 
w  hich  the\-  that  da\-  erected  to  themselves  as  seen  in  the 
result.^  Suppose  an  intelligent  stranger  were  here  and 
\\ere  told  to  search  for  that  monument  by  looking  around, 
w  hat  would  he  see.^  He  would  behold  a  free  and  inde- 
pendent commonwealth,  which  for  more  than  a  hundred 
\ears  has  enjo)'ed  the  blessings  of  liberty,  and  which  has 
advanced  st'^adily  without  retrogression  or  anarchy  in  all 
the  paths  of  prosperity'  and  civilization.  With  fifty  thou- 
sand square  miles  of  territor}',  containing  thirty-two  mil- 
lions of  acre^,  of  which  at  least  twenty-nine  millions  are 
arable  and  two  thousand  scpiare  .niles  of  which  are  in- 
land seas.  This  area  extends  east  and  west  for  six  hun- 
dred miles  in  length  with  an  average  breadth  of  a 
hundred  and  fort\'.  In  it  is  found  a  general  elevation 
from  tide  water  to  the  mountain  tops  of  si.x  thousand  feet, 


II 

giving  the  \'arietics  of  climate  which  are  to  be  found 
within  twent)'  degrees  of  latitude  north  and  south.  The 
variety  of  productions  are  abundant  and  commensurate 
with  these  varieties  of  soil  and  climate.  Her  forests  have 
always  been  remarkable  and  still  are,  for  their  great  ex- 
tent and  value,  and  the  treasures  within  her  bosom  have 
barely  begun  to  be  explored  and  exposed.  Not  to  men- 
tion smader  streams,  this  area  is  traversed  b\' three  thou- 
sand miles  of  water-courses  of  the  dignity  of  rivers, 
furnishing  in  their  gradual  fall  from  the  western  high- 
lands into  the  sea,  water-power  sufficient  to  turn  all  the 
machinery  of  the  world.  This  happily  located  land,  at 
once  profitable,  pleasant  and  picturesque,  containing  all 
the  best  gifts  of  God  to  his  creatures,  is  the  home  of  the 
children  of  the  men  who  made  it  free  and  established  its 
institutions  and  laws  with  a  view  to  the  happiness  of  its 
people.  So  well  did  they  build  that  after  more  than  a 
century  of  trial  no  flaw  has  been  found  in  the  structure, 
no  weakening,  no  evidence  of  decay.  Straight  forward 
it  has  marched,  still  upward  it  has  grown,  in  popuiation, 
in  wealth,  in  intelligence,  without  pause  or  delay,  save 
only  in  the  ever  memorable  and  ever  damnable  days  of 
Reconstruction.  In  1790  the  number  of  our  people  was 
393,000;  in  1880  it  was  1,400,000;  if  the  rate  of  increase 
which  obtained  from  1870  to  18S0  be  preserved,  in  1890 
our  population  will  be  at  least  1,750,000,  and  wdiether  it 
may  be  a  matter  for  boasting  or  a  matter  for  regret,  it  is 
equally  the  truth  this  steady  and  healthful  increase  has 
been  aided  very  little  by  immigration.  The  statistics 
show  that  no  American  State  has  been  so  little  indebted 
to  foreigners  for  either  population  or  Avealth.  Em.phati- 
cally  our  progress  is  our  own;  and  whatever  we  ma)'  be, 
THAT  we  have  become  by  our  own  efforts.  Let  us  love 
it  accordingly.  The  Germans  say,  "  One's  own  straw  is 
better  than  an  enemy's  wool,"  and  the  Latins  "The  smoke 
of  our  own  country  is  brighter  than  fire  abroad." 


12 

So  much  do  we  alrcad\'  sec  of  the  results  of  their  wis- 
dom and  valor,  l^ut  what  of  the  things  in  the  future 
which  we  do  not  see?  What  poetic  vision,  thou^li  reach- 
ing "far  as  angel's  ken "  can  picture  the  future  which 
awaits  this  people,  or  point  out  where  the  influence  of 
the  deeds  done  on  this  spot  in  1 781  shall  cease  to  aiTect 
their  destinies?  One  of  the  most  curi(5us  questions  ot 
metaph}\sics  is  that  of  the  dependence  of  one  event  upon 
another.  The  casuists  and  theologians  of  the  world  ha\'e 
in  all  time  disputed  concerning  its  effects  upr)n  the  free 
will  of  man  and  the  decrees  of  God.  The  cause  and  ef- 
fect can  be  more  obviously  traceJ  in  the  material  than 
in  the  moral  world;  and  \'et  without  refining  too  much, 
we  can  reasonably  trace  moral  effects  from  great  events 
over  \'ast  stretches  of  time.  In  18S3  the  island  of  Kra- 
katoa  in  the  straits  of  Sunda  was  literally  ejected  from 
its  place  in  the  seas  and  blown  into  space.  The  effect 
was  recognized  in  tidal  disturbances  upon  e\'er\'  shore, 
more  or  less,  where  observations  were  made  throughout 
the  earth.  You  all  remember  the  red  skies  which  gave 
even  additional  beauty  and  glory  to  our  celestial  scenery 
at  the  settings  of  the  sun  in  iS83-'84?  The  men  of  science 
have  now  determined  without  dissent,  that  those  red 
skies  were  directly  the  results  of  that  great  volcanic 
eruption  which  had  shattered  masses  of  obsidian  of  which 
the  island  was  composed,  into  impalpable  dust.  The 
force  of  the  explosion  had  hurled  the  obsidian  dust  into 
those  regions  of  the  upper  air  which  are  far  be)'ond 
the  influence  of  the  circulation  near  the  surface;  and  b\' 
tlie  operation  of  those  lofty  currents  of  which  we  know 
little,  it  had  been  diffused  throughout  the  world,  causing 
the  beauteous  phenomena  at  which  we  so  much  wonder- 
ed and  upon  which  we  gazed  with  so  much  rapture.  Who 
can  say  then  what  commonwealths,  a  thousand  >'ears 
from  now,  ma\'  not   be  inspired   by   our  example,  as  our 


13 

prosperit}'  and  happiness  were  secured  b\-  these  same 
deeds  of  our  ancestors?  Who  can  sa\-  tint  the  unseen 
and  lofty  currents  of  human  affection  may  not  waft  and 
diffuse  tlie  enno'oHng  lessons  and  inspirations  emanatini; 
from  Guilford  Court  H;)use  in  [7S1,  to  th  j  rem  itest  quar- 
ters of  the  earth  and  to  the  most  distant  times,  bri<^dn- 
ening-  the  skies  with  crimson  <^lor)- for  man\' faint-hearted 
and  struggling  people? 

I  have  said  that  the  fruit  of  their  labors  constituted 
the  true  monument  of  our  ancestors;  that  for  themsehxs 
no  other  was  needed,  but  that  others  were  needed  for  us. 
That  for  our  own  sakes  we  should  celebrate  and  erect 
shafts  in  order  to  demonstrate  what  was  in  our  own  hearts. 
It  has  long  been  a  matter  of  reproach  that  North  Caro- 
lina has  done  so  little  to  perpetuate  in  stone  her  lo\'e  for 
her  sages  and  heroes.  The  day  when  the  foot  of  the 
first  Anglo-Saxon  was  placed  on  American  soil  is  known 
historically,  but  the  spot  where  the  colon\-  of  the  great 
and  splendid  Raleigh  landed  is  unmarked  b>'  a  single 
memento.  This  genesis  of  the  mightiest  revelation  in 
the  history  of  nations,  was  upon  North  Carolina  soil,  yet 
we  have  left  neglected  both  the  time  and  place.  The 
men  of  Mecklenburg  Declaration  have  as  yet  no  monu- 
ment. Until  the  patriotic  impulse  inspired  one  man, 
whose  enthusiasm  inspired  you,  this  sacred  spot  had  no 
commemoration.  Cross  Creek  and  Moore  Creek  are  yet 
without  a  stone."  The  battle  of  the  Regulators,  where 
the  first  blood  was  shed  for  real  liberty  in  America  is  un- 
marked and  unsignified  to  the  traveller.  Davie  and  Da- 
vidson and  Shelby,  Sevier,  Cleveland,  McDowell,  Lilling- 
ton,  Harnett,  Moore,  all  sleep  in  graves  hallowed  by  pa- 
triotism, but  unknown  save  onl}'  to  private  affection.  \\"e 
do  not  even  sufficiently  guard  the  traditions  of  their  rep- 
utation, but   leave    incompetent  or  partial    historians    to 

'••rhis  is  incorrect,     Theie  is  a  munumenf  at  Moore's  Creek, 


slur  their  dcccis  or  scandalize  their  mcm()ries.  This 
criminal  nci^'Ii^rcncc  continues  te)  this  da}-.  Some  of  the 
stories  and  misrepresentations  concerning  X()rth  Carolina 
troops  in  the  late  ci\'il  war  are  sufficienth'  scandalous  to 
make  the  Ijlood  of  c\er\'  truth-lox-in^^  man  in  the  State 
boil  wath  indiL^nant  heat.  \\  e  should  not,  in  silence,  per- 
mit those  misre}iresentations.  The  honor  of  those  wdio 
died  for  Xorth  Carolina  shr)uld  be  as  sacred  t(.)  us  as  the 
virtue  of  iHu-  m()thers.  The  thanks  of  our  peojile  are  due 
to  all  those  who  have  come  forward  to  defend  our  coun- 
try-men and  Secure  for  tliem  justice  in  histor\-.  Notable 
amouL^  those  w  ho  hax'e  thus  e;irned  our  gratitude  I  am 
glad  to  mention  Judge  Da\id  Schenck,  Ca])t.  W.  R. 
Bond  and  Col.  W.  L..  Sanders.  The  research  and  labor 
of  these  patriotic  gentlemen  ha\-e  alread}' \isibl\- ai.ected 
the  tone  of  contemporar}-  authors;  aiid  I  beg  to  assure 
them  of  the  apjireciation  of  our  countr}-men.  Of  our 
abundance  we  should  e\-er\'w-here  erect  those  lasting  tes- 
timonials oi  (vur  appreciatie)n  of  all  of  our  great  and  pa- 
triotic citizens.  I  repeat,  it  is  due  not  so  much  to  them 
as  to  ourselves. 

But  there  is  hope  for  North  Carolina  worthies  }'et. 
Sixteen  years  before  the  birth  of  our  Sax'iour  there  w-as 
born  in  the  forests  c^f  German}'-  a  child  who  was  called 
Arminius;  or  as  the  German  peasant  lox'ed  t  >  terna  him, 
Herman,  Prince  of  the  Cherusci.  He  cr)ncei\'ed  the  idea 
of  delivering  his  countr}*  tVon->  the  dominion  of  the  Ko- 
mans,  then  in  the  zenith  of  their  power.  Not  far  from 
the  time  when  our  Saviour  was  teaching  upon  the  shores 
of  Galilee,  and  healing  the  sick,  this  patriotic  German  de- 
ccn'ed  a  Roman  arm\-  into  the  morasses  of  his  nati\-e 
countr}-,  and  slauglitered  it  with  such  an  overwhelming 
slaughter  as  rendered  it  impossible  for  the  great  Augus- 
tus ever  again  to  conquer  his  country.  Nineteen  hun- 
dred years  thereafter  the  German  people  erected  a  statue 


15 

in  his  honor.  His  example  demonstrate.--  that  there  is 
gratitude  in  mankind,  though  the  proof  was  undoubtedh- 
slow  in  coming.  I  trust  that  the  people  of  North  Caro- 
lina will  not  wait  so  long  to  do  honor  to  those  who 
.served   them  and  died  for  them  in  the  hour  of  need. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


L     00032709141 

FOR  USE  ONLY  IN 
THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  COLLECTION 


